1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video game which operates according to game program data stored in a recording medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a cassette with a built-in semiconductor memory, or the like, and more particularly to a method of displaying a cursor associated with a vertical array of cursor images in a three-dimensionally displayed game field, a video game system with a cursor displayed with a vertical array of cursor images in a three-dimensionally displayed game field, and a recording medium which stores game program data for displaying a cursor in association with a vertical array of cursor images in a three-dimensionally displayed game field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various video game systems which have been proposed in the art include video game systems comprising a combination of a video game machine designed for home use and a television monitor, video game systems designed as video game machines for business use, and video game systems comprising a combination of a personal computer or work station, a display unit, and an audio output unit. These video game systems commonly comprise a controller which can manually be operated by a game player, a recording medium which stores game data including game program data, graphic image data, and audio data, a central processing unit (CPU) for performing a control process based on the game program data to generate video data and audio data, a graphic processor for generating graphic images to be displayed, an audio processor for generating sounds to be outputted, a cathoderay tube (CRT) for displaying graphic images, and a speaker for outputting sounds. The recording medium may typically be a CD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, a cassette with a built-in semiconductor memory, or the like.
Video games that can be played on video game systems are available in a growing number of different types, and their rules are rapidly becoming more complex and diverse. One particular kind of video games which have been proposed in many different forms allows the game player to move the position of a game character of its own on a game field with a controller to fight with a game character controlled by the computer of the video game system, so that the game characters wage a battle in a game space displayed on the display screen of a television monitor.
In video games where game characters fight a battle with each other in a displayed game space, the game player is required to select a desired game character to be moved in the game space as instructed by the game player. Usually, a game character is selected with arrow keys on a controller and a cursor displayed on a game field and movable by the arrow keys.
There have been demands from users of such video games for three-dimensional display of game fields.
When a game field is displayed three-dimensionally, however, the position of the cursor may not be identified occasionally. For example, if the cursor is positioned behind a bump in the game field, then the cursor cannot be seen through the bump.